Advocacy Officer

• PositionAdvocacy Officer
• CompanyRestless Development Uganda
• LocationKampala, Uganda (regular travel to West Nile and Karamoja)
• Job TypeFull-Time, Fixed-Term (1 year, renewable)
• CategoryNGO Jobs in Uganda
• IndustryNGO / Youth Development
• DepartmentProgrammes (YIGA project, 50% level of effort)
• SalaryUGX 23,542,380 gross per annum
• DeadlineTuesday, 13 October 2026, 5:00 pm EAT

Restless Development is a global non-profit that backs the collective power of young leaders. It is independently registered and governed in nine countries (India, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, the UK, the USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and coordinates the Youth Collective, a network of more than 4,000 youth civil society groups in 185 countries.

Restless Development has worked in Uganda since 1997 around four youth-defined goals: Voice and Democracy, Education and Livelihoods, Gender and Sexual Health, and Climate Justice. It works in 26 districts across Northern, North-Eastern, Central and Eastern Uganda, with offices in Kampala, Jinja, Moroto and West Nile, and coordinates the Uganda Youth Collective of more than 600 youth-led organisations.

As Advocacy Officer, you will lead the day-to-day delivery of YIGA’s advocacy strategy. That means identifying the governance issues young people care about, mapping decision-makers, turning evidence on public services into briefs, issue papers and talking points, and coaching Youth Accountability Advocates and youth councillors to present their case at barazas, Youth Leader Connect meetings and district engagements.

You will track commitments made by leaders, maintain an advocacy tracker with the MEL team, and feed evidence into the State of Youth Civil Society in Uganda report and National Youth Working Group discussions. Half your time is on YIGA, with the rest supporting Restless Development Uganda’s wider advocacy and campaigns. The role is based in Kampala with regular travel to West Nile and Karamoja.

Advocacy Strategy and Implementation

• Lead the day-to-day implementation of YIGA’s advocacy activities in line with the project’s advocacy strategy, workplan and targets.
• Identify youth priorities and governance issues that need advocacy, and develop clear objectives, messages and influencing approaches.
• Map and analyse decision-makers, duty bearers and influencers.
• Develop advocacy action plans, engagement plans and activity schedules, and follow up agreed actions.
• Track commitments made by decision-makers and support youth structures to follow them up.

Evidence-Based Advocacy and Policy Influence

• Gather, analyse and package evidence on public service delivery with young people and project teams.
• Translate evidence into advocacy briefs, issue papers, policy recommendations, talking points, presentations and case studies.
• Identify district and national policies, plans and processes where YIGA evidence can influence decisions.
• Support youth representatives to monitor services and prepare for meetings with leaders and officials.
• Monitor policy and governance developments and identify opportunities for youth influence.

Youth-Led Advocacy and Capacity Strengthening

• Train, mentor and support Youth Accountability Advocates, youth councillors and other youth structures.
• Facilitate youth-led advocacy sessions, community barazas, Youth Leader Connect meetings and dialogue platforms.
• Support young people to develop messages, identify targets and plan advocacy actions.
• Coach youth representatives to present evidence and engage decision-makers.
• Document and share successful youth-led advocacy approaches.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build relationships with district local governments, elected leaders, community leaders, CSOs and youth-led organisations.
• Organise and facilitate dialogue between youth and decision-makers.
• Help youth leaders follow up commitments and document progress.
• Identify strategic partnerships and platforms that raise youth priorities.
• Represent YIGA in relevant forums as assigned.

Organisational Advocacy, Communications and Visibility

• Support Restless Development Uganda’s wider advocacy priorities, campaigns, consultations and forums.
• Work with Communications and partners on advocacy messages, media briefs, position papers and success stories.
• Provide evidence and youth perspectives to inform organisational advocacy.
• Connect YIGA’s learning with wider networks, coalitions and media.
• Represent Restless Development in relevant forums and document advocacy outcomes.

Monitoring, Learning and Reporting

• Maintain an advocacy tracker of activities, engagements, commitments and outcomes.
• Track and document evidence of influence, including changes in decisions, plans, budgets and services.
• Develop and track advocacy indicators with the MEL team.
• Prepare timely activity reports, updates and learning briefs.
• Contribute to the State of Youth Civil Society in Uganda report and National Youth Working Group discussions.
• Identify what works and adapt advocacy approaches accordingly.

Other Responsibilities

• Support wider organisational advocacy, youth engagement and programme delivery.
• Carry out other assigned duties, including occasional weekend work with Time Off in Lieu.

Required Education

• A bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Political Science, Governance, Communications or a related field.

Work Experience

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in advocacy, policy engagement, youth participation, governance, accountability or a related area.
• Demonstrated experience working with young people and youth-led structures, preferably in a development or civil society organisation.
• Practical experience engaging local government officials, elected leaders and CSOs.

Additional Requirements

• Good understanding of local governance, civic participation, accountability and advocacy processes in Uganda.
• Commitment to youth participation, inclusion and safeguarding.
• Desirable: experience in West Nile or Karamoja, knowledge of local government planning and budgeting, social accountability work, media and digital advocacy, and consortium programmes.

Technical Skills

• Advocacy Planning: Setting objectives, mapping stakeholders and building influencing plans.
• Evidence Translation: Turning data into briefs, recommendations and position papers.
• Facilitation: Running trainings, barazas and dialogue sessions.
• Report Writing: Clear reporting, documentation and learning briefs.
• Advocacy Tracking: Monitoring commitments and outcomes with MEL indicators.

Soft Skills

• Influencing: Persuading leaders and officials to act on youth priorities.
• Youth Engagement: Building trust with young people and youth structures.
• Stakeholder Management: Working across districts, partners and national platforms.
• Adaptability: Adjusting approaches as policy windows open.
• Commitment to Inclusion: Ensuring diverse young people are heard safely.

The salary is UGX 23,542,380 gross per annum on a one-year contract, renewable depending on funding and performance. Weekend work is compensated with Time Off in Lieu. The preferred start date is as soon as possible.

• The salary is published up front: UGX 23,542,380 gross per year.
• You work on a Danish-funded governance project running to December 2027.
• You help young people in West Nile and Karamoja influence real local government decisions.
• Your evidence feeds the State of Youth Civil Society in Uganda report and national youth policy discussions.
• Restless Development has worked in Uganda since 1997, so you join an established youth-led organisation.
• The role builds advocacy, policy and youth engagement skills that transfer across the NGO sector.

Apply through Restless Development’s recruitment portal: Advocacy Officer application. Submit your CV and a cover letter of no more than 750 words giving tangible examples of how your skills, knowledge and experience match the key priorities in the job description.

The deadline is 5:00 pm EAT on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.

• Keep your cover letter under 750 words and structure it around the job’s main sections.
• Give concrete examples of advocacy that changed a decision, budget or service.
• Mention any work with youth councils, district local governments or barazas.
• Highlight experience in West Nile or Karamoja, or with similar communities.
• Show you can write: mention briefs or position papers you have produced.
• Submit before 5:00 pm on 13 October; late applications are not considered.